Annette Brun

"Growing up with two older brothers I’ve always been athletic."

From swimming, softball, and basketball to volleyball, track, and golf, I was always active. I even tried tennis until I inadvertently hit my Mom in the head with the racquet while we were playing doubles (she still reminds me about it).

After I left home for college in 1979, exercise became virtually non-existent. Fortunately, my height allowed me to gain a little weight without drawing too much attention to it. Fast forward to 1994 when I moved to Knoxville. I immediately joined Ft. Sanders, and other than an ocassional class or laps in the pool, I’d stand in the middle of all the equipment and wonder what the heck to do. It was a waste of time and money. Thanks to Terry Keltner’s sweet but persistent suggestion to “try Cross Fit,” I cautiously took the plunge in November 2015 and went to the 5:30 am class.

I remember crying after my first burpee because it hurt my back so much. And later getting frustrated because I couldn’t flip one of those stinking tires. But nearly two years later, I’m moving through burpees, flipping rubber, and my lower back problems are non-existent. And the best part is that my recent bone density scan improved from 2015, which means my bones are getting stronger, which is great for my 56-year-old body!

I may not run the fastest or lift the most weight, but I’m loving my time at CrossFit Knoxville, and so grateful to the coaches and my fellow athletes for making it fun to start the day at CFK, and with NO pressure to do anything more than I’m comfortable doing. This fall, I’m looking forward to running in my 15th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with the intent of finishing with a PR of under 29 minutes. Bring on the high knees and butt kickers!!